I would like to hear more about facing yourself, and I’m thinking about what I’ve read and heard about the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Bardo. They are sort of like theurgic necromancy, though there are non-theurgic types as well. Perhaps one of the most fearful aspects of the dark side is the fact that it exists as a world that seems more hidden than conventional spiritual experience.

Theurgic meaning rituals? Theurgic meaning based on principles of theology. Ritual exists in all forms. In fact, mediums are practicing a non-ritualistic and potentially non-theurgic form of necromancy. But perhaps the basis of all dark side related metaphysics is the realm known as the underworld. The underworld is also the world between. It’s commonly mistaken as a world removed from the normal world, but in almost all schools of thought, its ways and its cycles are closely linked to those of the normal world.

Between what? Between earth and transcendent realms. What is that called in Hawaiian lore or is there such a thing?

Underworld here is called Milo. It is the realm of the spirits of the former living divided into many kinds/groups and is Milu. Milu is said to have been a chief on earth who, on account of disobedience to the Gods, was swept down into the underworld at death and became its ruler. Sounds like that “other“ fallen angel? Yes, in a sense, and universally the between has been intuited as standing in defiance of the spiritual order, like a fun house mirror that makes things look scary, and when a spirit refuses to move on they linger on in the between/under world. There is a thirst for souls, etc., but we all have our reflection there as well. So the dark ways involve exploring and understanding that world and dealing with it.

The Tibetan Buddhist version is Bardo that I mentioned earlier, and it means between. Yes.The Bardo is the realm of the angry Gods which to the western mindset are seen as demons. Something to note. The word demon was of Greek origin and it originally denoted any powerful entity that existed in a state between Gods and mortals.

I wonder often if that has to do with the in between state where the body has ceased life functions, but the body has not completely died yet. There are many states of energy changes going on there. Yes, but more than that stage, there is a threshold that forms a plane of energy through the world. A sort of band of transformation of energy. This is why it seems to sound overstated and scary.

In future discussions, I wouldn’t mind exploring the concept of demons. There is a lot of fear associated with them in Western culture. Ok, demons can be its own topic. Even quantum demons, which exist at the same “death” threshold. The strange attractor patterns behind quantum state collapse.

Is the between place closer to us and perhaps the power drawn from it can be greater as a result? It can seem greater, but topographically it is a sort of hyper space. This is perhaps why you hear of dark beings being able to enter the realms of the light /sacred. What it comes down to is that everything has its shadow, literally. To the Magi of ancient Persia this was even a part of their religion.

So are these realms like different energy states for the soul? Like how molecules can go from a liquid to a gas? Yes, exactly. Not superior or inferior, but they do shape the object of consciousness. The river Acheron, now so much associated with the modern concept of hell, was originally seen as more akin to the Hindu Ganges river. Yes, it was the river of pain, but also of purification and therefore healing, and was thought to have numerous tributaries around the world. One just along the border of Turkey.

So yes, ways of the underworld. Any other topics of interest related to the dark side of metaphysics?